Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page i SACRIFICE ON THE STEPPE Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page ii Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page iii SACRIFICE ON THE STEPPE The Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad Campaign, 1942–1943 By HOPE HAMILTON Philadelphia & Newbury Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page iv Published in the United States of America and Great Britain in 2011 by CASEMATE 908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083 and 17 Cheap Street, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5DD Copyright 2011 © Hope Hamilton ISBN 978-1-61200-002-2 Digital Edition: 978-1-61200-013-8 Cataloging-in-publication data is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed and bound in the United States of America. For a complete list of Casemate titles please contact: CASEMATE PUBLISHERS (US) Telephone (610) 853-9131, Fax (610) 853-9146 E-mail: [email protected] CASEMATE PUBLISHERS (UK) Telephone (01635) 231091, Fax (01635) 41619 E-mail: [email protected] Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page v CONTENTS Preface ix PART I ITALIAN TROOPS ARE SENT TO RUSSIA 1. The Invasion of Russia 3 2. Summer of 1942 19 3. The Trek of the Alpini 32 4. On the Don Lines 37 5. General Conditions on the Don Front 59 6. The Soviet Winter Offensive Begins 69 7. Transfer of the Julia Division 76 8. Encirclement of the Alpine Corps 98 PART II LA RITIRATA: WITHDRAWAL OF THE ALPINE CORPS FROM THE DON 9. Retreat During the Height of Winter 111 10. The Cuneense and Julia Continue to Withdraw 129 11. Disaster on the Steppe 140 12. Withdrawal of the Tridentina Division 145 13. Out of the Encirclement—The March Continues 176 14. Survivors of the Withdrawal Return to Italy 184 Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page vi CONTENTS (continued) PART III PRISONERS OF WAR 15. Capture at Valuiki 195 16. Marches of the Davai 201 17. Prisoner of War Transports 211 18. Prisoner of War Camps—The First Months 218 19. Camps Suzdal and Krasnogorsk 237 PART IV IL RITORNO: RETURNING HOME 20. The Homeward Journey 275 21. Le Perdite—The Losses 298 Epilogue: A Sign of Hope 308 Postscript 311 Composition of the Italian Alpine Corps 318 Acknowledgments 321 Notes 325 Bibliography 351 Index 359 Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page vii Telling this story saves it from a definite death— that of being forgotten . . . Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page viii Sacrifice-final text7-USE THIS ONE_Leader 5/4/11 1:18 PM Page ix PREFACE During the Second World War, the Italian nation reaped the tragic results of years of Fascist rule under Benito Mussolini, who assumed dictatorial powers three years following the formation of the Fascist Party in 1922. Not only was Mussolini head of the Italian government, he was also responsible for Italian military policy for more than twenty years. Moreover, he was minister for all three armed services during 1925–29 and 1933–43. Intent on maintaining an imperial image and emulating the glorious days of the Roman Empire, Mussolini clothed himself as a warrior by means of bellicose rhetoric combined with showmanship and propa- ganda; but the truth was that Italy was not nearly prepared for war. Nevertheless, Mussolini entered the conflict by declaring war against Great Britain and France in June 1940. He told his then Chief of the Supreme General Staff, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, “I need several thou- sand dead to be able to take my place at the peace table,” as he justified his intervention.1 Various treaties bound Hitler and Mussolini together: the Anti- Comintern Pact, November 1936, the Tripartite Pact, 1940 (both of which included Japan), and the Pact of Steel signed in May 1939, yet neither dictator conducted foreign policy with much regard for the other, often giving little or no notice of their intentions to their ally. Such was the case when Mussolini invaded Greece in October 1940, and when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. ix